The present invention relates to a sorter for use with a copier and others and, more particularly, to a sorter which is furnished with a capability of binding a stack of copy sheets.
A sorter for use with a copier or the like includes multiple bins which are arranged one after another in the vertical direction, and serves to stack paginated copy sheets in each of the bins. Sorters heretofore proposed include a one having a capability of binding a stack of copy sheets. Specifically, in such a sorter, copy sheets sequentially delivered to any of the bins are shifted one by one toward one side edge of the bin by a shift roller which is movable toward and away from copy sheets, then the bin loaded with the copy sheets is moved to a prescribed stapling position, and then a staple is driven into the copy sheets to bind them together.
A problem with a sorter having a binding function as stated above is that should each bin be provided with various mechanical arrangements for implementing the binding function, e.g., a mechanism for actuating the roller, a bin driving device for moving the bin and a stapler for driving staples, the sorter would become prohibitively complicated in construction and expensive.
Another problem is that should any of copy sheets in a stack have a curl in the vicinity of its binding area, simply stapling that stack would cause it to be bound with the copy sheets not neatly aligned.